Back to Colorado where Fall is actually happening, where the nights dip down into the temperatures that make you grab a sweater on your way out the door.

Weddings are celebrations that I catalog in my mind. Was the wedding creative? Beautiful? Simple? Elegant? And then of course there is the list of less than desirable adjectives. Was it Tacky? Extravagant? Self-Indulgent? Boring?

As a writer, I've been taught to develop my critical mind. I've been encouraged to pick apart my own stories and the stories or works of other writers. As a thinker, I've been taught to examine what is put before me, be it an idea, a tradition, a movie or a book.

And so when I go to weddings, I can't help but leaving my writing and thinking caps on. Despite the drinks and the cake and the warm wishes, I still analyze, still ponder, still question the act I'm taking part of.

It can get annoying being judgmental. Sometimes I just want to be a bundle of enveloping joy.

And so in hopes of infusing my spirit with some sweetness, I baked a pan of banana cinnamon rolls. They are messy and fragrant and will overwhelm even the most critical bite.

Please believe me when I say that these are messy. When I had my rectangle of dough on the counter and my hands were covered in mashed banana and flour, I thought that I was standing in the midst of a baking disaster.

But out of chaos came beauty. (This is a lesson I need to hold onto in my areas of my life).

The rolls look a bit pitiful when you put them in your pan, but as soon as you let them rise...magic.

Even better is the fragrant smell of banana, cinnamon and sugar browning in your pan as your dough turns to a rich golden brown.

These could easily be enjoyed with or without frosting. But since I like to take pictures of my food, I have a tendency towards embellishment. If you like frosting, please slather a thick layer on top. If you hate it, well...you know what to do.

And as for the wedding and my harsh, critical eye...I'm reminding myself what weddings are all about: being in love.

1. In a small bowl, combine your yeast with your warm water and 1 TBSP of sugar and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until creamy and foamy. In a separate bowl, mash together the banana with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Cover and set aside.

2. In a large bowl fitted to your stand mixer, combine your sugar, salt, butter and egg with your yeast mixture. Add in flour gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon. After flour is incorporated, use your dough hook to knead dough for 5-10 minutes. You may have to add additional flour to reach the desired consistency. Your dough should pull away from the sides and form a smooth, elastic ball.

3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. On a well floured surface, divide dough and roll into two rectangles. Distribute filling on both surfaces, being sure to leave a 1 inch border around the edge. Carefully roll up your dough into a long log and cut each log into eight equal pieces. (This is where it gets messy). Place your cut rolls into two greased 9 inch cake pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.

5. Bake your rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until rolls are a light golden brown.

For frosting: mix one cup of powdered sugar with 1 TBSP milk or cream. Stir together and pour into a zip loc bag. Cut the corner of the bag and drizzle over cinnamon rolls. Simple, huh?

Always,MonetAnecdotes and Apple Cores

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I love any baked goods with banana, and messy or not, these look scrumptious. (And I'm a frosting person, so extra for my share.)

As for feeling too critical sometimes, I know what you mean. I feel like I was really encouraged to think critically in college, where I studied social science. It made it hard for a long time to break away from always thinking in that way.

Of course weddings are about love, but I think it's only natural to take those mental notes and make judgments like you do - either because you've already gotten married, so you may be comparing it to your own wedding, or you're planning to someday and are looking for inspiration and ideas.

(and I do have the same issue - my college program developed and encouraged critical thinking, and sometimes it's just hard to turn that off!)

These rolls look delicious! I always turn to banana bread when I have ripe bananas, but this looks like a wonderful alternative! Enjoy the wedding and your return trip to CO. I bet the mountains are gorgeous this time of year :)

im not even kidding when i say I WILL BE MAKING THESE!!! i have a couple days off on sunday and monday so im gonna try my best to make these!! ive gotta put lots of pecans or walnuts on there but everything else looks FABULOUS! gosh the icing is gonna be so good :P

ps. i seriously hope i look as lovely (or at least as much as i can) as you on your wedding day. you're an angel <3

Monet have a great trip to Colorado! I miss living in the Springs. It is such a beautiful place. I wanted to ask, do you have a facebook account? If you do will you add me please. I try to keep up with all my friends over there. It's a bit easier.

Enjoy the wedding! And I know how you feel- I've been to so many weddings at this point, I feel like I've started to compare them all. Which is not fair- each one is different in it's own way! I hope you relax and enjoy it!

Cinnamon rolls are extremely common here in Scandinavia (if I'm not mistaken, they even originated here?), but I have never tried adding banana to mine. I might try that next time - sounds like a great idea!

Have a lovely time at the wedding. This is such a nice time of year to have one.Fruit makes such a great substitution for the butter in cinnamon rolls. I have used applesauce many times, but never bananas. I will have try it. My kids would love it.

Pitiful!? No way! These things look fabulous.. I think Mountain Man would love them.. have fun at the wedding :) And don't worry, I totally judge every wedding I go to as well, especially since I haven't had mine yet ha

I have never had banana buns before, they sound delicious, I bet the aroma was incredible, I never thought of adding anything else to cinnamon buns, it certainly did make them extra special!Have fun at your wedding my friend!

Sticky, messy buns can be quite alluring...just as you and Hubby appear in that mesmerizing romantic photo! BTW...I truly feel that being judgmental at times can wipe out and make you miss out on some very great moments. Hope you get over that part of yourself and enjoy being back in Colorado and celebrate being alive ;0)

I'm in the same boat as you! I can be quite judgmental at time and I'm not even a writer! But at the end of the day, just remember you'll be with friends and the people you love! Have a safe trip to CO and back and fyi... these banana buns look amazing!

I love the frosting, it looks far prettier than slathering it on. And it limits the quantity so you don't lose the flavor of the roll. I always see people literally spoon frosting onto cinnamon rolls and breakfast buns when all it does is cover up the delicious bread flavors. Keep you head up girl!

I love the addition of banana to cinnamon rolls! This are the perfect morning treat. Enjoy your trip to Colorado...a weekend of fall weather sounds perfect to me :) And weddings are my favorite excuses to travel and meet up with friends and family.

I find lately that I can never turn my blogging voice off. Everything that happens to me, I narrate it in my head, saying it how I would write it in the blog. I guess that means I'm always looking for new post ideas? Hmmm.

These banana rolls are. Um. Addictive. I find that the best kitchen creations end in me covered in flour. these totally reinforce that idea.

I remember how much fun I had at my wedding. I didn't care what happened (even when one of the groomsmen was late). I told everyone that it didn't matter. As long as my hubby, my dad (the pastor) and I were there I could be in a gunny sack with a bunch of dandelions in my hand. It was a fantastic day.

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